The Cabinet of Ministers has established a special border regime and banned free entry, stay, residence and movement of persons in the border zone.
According to Taras Melnychuk, a representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada, on Telegram, the decision was made at a government meeting on Thursday.
In particular, pursuant to the Law of February 24, 2023 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Protection of the State Border of Ukraine”, the Resolution “On the Border Regime” was amended.
Thus, a special border regime has been established and free entry, stay, residence, movement of persons and work not related to the defense or protection of the state border within the land plots provided for permanent use by military units of the State Border Guard Service for the construction, arrangement and maintenance of engineering and fortification structures, fences, border signs, border clearings, and communications is prohibited.
The law also defines the procedure for issuing permits for entry, stay, residence, work and access to the border strip.
In November, registrations of new commercial vehicles (trucks and special vehicles) in Ukraine amounted to 1,031 units, which is twice as many as in the same month last year, Ukravtoprom reported on its Telegram channel.
At the same time, registrations increased by 6% (or 54 units) compared to October this year.
Renault remains the market leader by a significant margin with 241 units. Peugeot took second place (compared to third in October) with 74 units. Ford is in third place (72 units), and Mercedes-Benz is fourth with 71 cars registered. MAN (67 units) rounds out the top five, having risen to second place in October this year.
In general, according to Ukravtoprom, in January-November 2023, more than 10.1 thousand new vehicles were added to the Ukrainian fleet of trucks and special vehicles, which is 71% more than in the same period in 2022.
As reported, in 2022, according to Ukravtoprom, the market for new commercial vehicles decreased by 2.3 times by 2021 to 6.9 thousand units.
OTP Bank has launched a charity Christmas auction, which will last from December 4 to December 25. All the funds raised will be transferred to the Superhumans Center to provide prosthetics to defenders who lost their limbs in the war and need comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.
The auction participants will be offered exclusive lots: a Christmas lot from the First Lady, a flag of Ukraine signed by Valeriy Zaluzhny, boxing gloves signed by Vitali Klitschko, Elina Svitolina’s tennis racket, a T-shirt signed by billionaire Buffett, a collection of works by Serhiy Zhadan, as well as commemorative coins, stamp sets, unique Christmas decorations – all signed by celebrities.
All customers of the bank can take part in the charity auction through the OTP Bank UA app.
The full list of lots is available on the website.
“It is through charity that every responsible business today can and should help society. After all, the country, the economy, citizens, and, of course, our defenders need support. This is the second major charity auction held by OTP Bank to raise funds for prosthetics for our heroes,” said Volodymyr Mudryi, CEO of OTP Bank.
“I would like to draw attention to a unique opportunity, a feature that no other bank has: the auction is held online in the OTP Bank UA application. I am sincerely grateful to our development team who managed to implement such a seemingly “useless” feature in terms of banking operations, but such a relevant one for charity, which will help each client both to join the auction and simply donate to Superhumans. The aesthetic and emotional component is also important – those who make a donation will receive a unique author’s “shirt” on their bank card by Christmas. Let’s do a good deed and help our 25 Heroes by December 25!” called Lesia Syrota, OTP Bank Retail Sales Director and team leader of the OTP Bank Helps Ukraine project.
She also emphasized that the lots presented at the auction are unique. “For example, collectible cards are a limited collection: “MOST WANTED. Ukrainian edition”, which cannot be found on sale. Or a flag of Ukraine with the DIU emblem and Kyrylo Budanov’s signature, or a didukh signed by the genius Ada Rogovtseva, a symbol of Christmas in Ukraine. But the most important thing is that the funds raised will be used to provide real help to our soldiers in need of prosthetics. And it is in your power to support Ukrainian heroes,” summarized the project’s team leader.
Superhumans Center is an ultra-modern center for the rehabilitation of adults and children affected by war, established on the basis of the Yuriy Lypa Lviv Regional Hospital for War Veterans and the Repressed in April 2023. The center provides prosthetics, complex reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation and psychological support to Ukrainians who have been injured in the war. The center plans to treat up to 3,000 patients annually.
In November 2023, Ukraine increased the soybean processing to the highest monthly volume since April 2020, which amounted to about 184 thsd tonnes, up 17% compared to October and 43% compared to November 2022, APK-Inform news agency reported.
“Despite the difficulties with the formation of the raw material base of the plants due to the fierce competition with exporters, the main incentive to increase the processing was the high demand for soybean meal on the foreign market,” the analysts said.
According to the report, Ukraine exported 160 thsd tonnes of meal in three months of 2023-2024 marketing year, up 45% compared to the same period of the previous season and the highest for September-November in the last four seasons.
The main importers of Ukrainian soybean meal were Poland with the share of 58% and Hungary with the share of 24%, according to APK-Inform.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced additional assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $175 million, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.
The package will include air defense ammunition and artillery shells, additional ammunition for HIMARS, high-speed anti-radiation and anti-tank missiles, small arms ammunition, explosive ordnance to destroy obstacles, equipment to protect critical infrastructure, spare parts, support equipment, services, training, and transportation.
“Until Russia ends this war by halting its brutal attacks and withdrawing its troops from Ukraine, it is critical that the United States continue to lead the coalition we have built, consisting of more than 50 countries that stand firmly with Ukraine. If Congress does not act to approve the president’s request for additional national security funding, this will be one of the last security assistance packages we can provide to Ukraine,” the statement said.
The State Department emphasized that helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression and secure its future is in the interests of U.S. national security and promotes global stability around the world, “and we need Congress to act now.”
One of the largest grain market operators in Ukraine, Nibulon JV LLC (Mykolaiv), plans to continue the reform of agricultural production in 2024, develop a de-mining unit, modernize its agricultural machinery fleet for $20 million, logistics for $14 million, and elevators for $12 million, said Andriy Vadatursky, CEO of the agricultural holding.
“Next year is the year of implementing the strategies we have developed. We have to achieve greater efficiency in all areas and comprehensively modernize the company. This will allow our people to receive higher salaries and the company to strengthen its competitiveness – both its own and the industry’s in the global market,” he wrote on Facebook on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of Nibulon’s foundation.
According to the CEO of the agricultural holding, as part of the agricultural production reform, the company will continue to develop conservation tillage technologies, introduce automation and stabilize relations with landowners.
Mr. Vadatursky noted that the agricultural holding managed to return more than 4,000 hectares of land in Mykolaiv region to operation this year thanks to the launch of a new humanitarian demining unit. “Nibulon expects to receive four demining vehicles, which is facilitated by DEG Impulse gGmbH. The sappers trained by the agricultural holding will not only clear the land bank owned by Nibulon, but will also provide services to everyone.
According to him, the $20 million received from the Danish Export Investment Fund (EIFO) will be used to purchase Claas, Horshch, Hardi, Bednar, etc. agricultural machinery.
Almost $14 million has already been allocated to modernize the agricultural holding’s logistics, which has helped to upgrade the fleet and develop the port infrastructure.
As the war forced Nibulon to reorient its export chains due to the loss of river navigation, the grain trader increased the share of grain transportation by trucks. For this purpose, the company purchased 74 new Scania trucks, STAS trailers, as well as new fuel trucks and tanks.
The port infrastructure of the Bessarabian branch was strengthened by two new Liebherr reloaders, which allow for additional transshipment of up to 1000 tons of grain per hour and will be used in other logistics models of the company.
“Thanks to the USAID Economic Support for Ukraine project, Nibulon has expanded its railroad fleet with 50 hopper cars built at Karpaty.
“The bulk of the investments will be directed to the construction of a new elevator at the Khmelnytskyi branch, reconstruction of Vradiyivskyi and Kolosivskyi elevators. In addition, Nibulon is planning to improve the automated control system of elevator complexes,” Vadatursky said.
According to him, a new SCADA software solution will be created on the basis of the existing system to ensure a continuous, transparent and controlled technological process. This will allow receiving data in real time, saving resources, increasing staff productivity and, accordingly, their salaries.
Nibulon JV LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, a one-time storage capacity of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugs), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
“Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82 thousand hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries.
In 2021, the grain trader exported the highest ever 5.64 million tons of agricultural products, reaching record volumes of supplies to foreign markets in August – 0.7 million tons, in the fourth quarter – 1.88 million tons, and in the second half of the year – 3.71 million tons.
Nibulon’s losses from Russia’s full-scale military invasion have reached $400 million. The grain trader is currently operating at 30% of capacity and has set up a special unit to clear agricultural land of mines.
